About me: A diverse ecologist


  • Plant Ecologist
    • climate change
    • physiology
    • evolution


  • Ecosystem Ecologist
    • climate change
    • fire ecology


  • Shepherd Research:
    • urban tree ecology
    • ?????

About me


  • Plant Ecologist
    • climate change
    • physiology
    • evolution


  • Ecosystem Ecologist
    • climate change
    • fire ecology


  • Shepherd Research:
    • urban tree ecology
    • ?????

This semester we will practice being a modern ecologist

This semester we will ….

  • Immerse ourselves in weekly ecological themes
    • lecture
    • journal club
    • quantitative reasoning (data fridays)


  • Go outside!!!


  • Contribute to ecological experiments


  • You will SOLVE a major ecological issue!


  • Practice communicating science
    • Find your voice!

What is ecology (textbook definition)?

Ecology has a few big themes



  • Relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings
    • living and non-living components


  • (1) Distribution and abundance of organisms


  • (2) Interactions among organisms


  • (3) Transformation and flux of energy and matter

Are humans a part of ecology? YES!

Ecology concepts span many scales, including time

Ecologist try to understand, explain, and predict

Ecological questions rarely have one simple answer









Ecological process develop over long time periods

What is the central need for ecology?

Class Warning: We will be moving up Bloom’s ladder

For Journal Club this week….


  • Read “100 articles every ecologist should read”
    • article and cheat sheet on Brightspace


  • Take specific notes
    • What ecological themes are common?
    • Do you feel any themes are missing?
    • Is there a take home message?
    • Is there anything you don’t understand?
    • Complete and submit your reflection on Brightspace


  • Pay attention to little details
    • Are there any patterns you see?
    • Do you detect any issues?

Journal Club warning…

  • If there is one thing that I know in life it is plants !


  • If there are two things that I know, the second is if you have read the paper.
    • It is obvious to me when you are not prepared for the readings.
    • I can easily distinguish between misunderstanding and poor preparation!
    • I expect you to have a copy of the paper and notes in class (phone is not acceptable)


  • I take this very seriously and you will NOT do well in this class if you do not participate
    • The reflection is required to participate in Journal Club. No points will be rewarded for late submission

Keep the ‘Pot of Doom’ locked away





  • At the start of Journal Club one name will be drawn



  • Student will be responsible for 2 things:
    • 1 minute brief on what the paper addresses (theme, species, issue, etc.)
    • Definition or explanation of a science word or concept from the paper you did not know (so you had to look it up)